AT ONE point, Jordan Russell thought his assistant coaching journey may have been ending before it truly got started.

Now, a decade after his AFL playing career finished up, he finds him back at what will always truly be his footballing home.

In truth, Russell’s pathway to coaching commenced when he was still a player at the Blues, assisting the younger players at Princes Park — “and eventually they ended up taking my spot”. Looking at you, Zac Tuohy.

After 125 games across nine seasons (even if one of those was in black and white), Russell ventured to Whitten Oval, playing for the VFL side. Lifting the cup up in two of his first three years, Russell eventually got a full-time job in development coaching before earning a role as midfield assistant coach for the AFL side.

That was in 2020. He was assistant coach for one game, and then when the pandemic hit, sweeping changes at all clubs meant Russell was out of a job.

Fortunately, he got back in, initially accepting a role to coach Footscray’s VFL side before North Melbourne came knocking with an assistant coaching role. He felt as though his job wasn’t done at AFL level, so made the switch to Arden Street.

It’s all been about the journey for Russell, who’s now back on Royal Parade. But he’s not just here because of his affinity for the Navy Blue, but rather, it’s an exciting next step in his coaching development.

“I’ve learned a heap around myself, my coaching philosophies and about the game. It’s been a wild ride across a couple of different portfolios and a couple of clubs, but all for the betterment of my overall coaching,” Russell said.

“It all happened pretty quickly last week. I spoke to ‘Lloydy’ and ‘Vossy’ and felt really comfortable with the conversation, and they were obviously comfortable too. They offered the job and a week later, here we are.

“As I keep saying, I’ve got to get myself up to speed as quickly as possible with the culture and fabric and environment, and then see where I fit in and have my biggest say and biggest strengths. It’s exciting.”

One of those VFL premiership cups was lifted standing alongside Ash Hansen, who was coach of Footscray while Russell was skipper. In Hansen, Russell has a close confidant who he can’t wait to start working with again.

With Hansen to fully focus on his duties as Senior Assistant Coach, Russell is keen to tap into the knowledge base of someone who has made the forward line his own in the past two years since arriving at Carlton.

“I’m really close with Ash: we’ve kept in contact the last three or four years since I left the Western Bulldogs. Following his journey really closely, I’ve heard he’s doing some amazing things here and that doesn’t surprise me at all,” he said.

“In terms of what Ash and I are going to do together, it’s not going to be chopping off and he can’t talk to the forwards anymore! We’re going to work together and I’m going to pick his brain about individuals, the way the forwards have gone about it and learn from what they’ve been able to do.”

Admitting “the place is a bit different to the last time I was here”, the last remaining link on the list when it came to Russell’s playing days departed just a few weeks ago.

When asked whether his return to the Blues coincided with Ed Curnow departing, Russell was happy to lean in.

Correlation versus causation?

“As soon as I found out he was going, I was quick on the phone to ‘Lloydy’ to see if there were any coaching opportunities . . .”

“No, it would’ve been great to have been around the place with Ed! But I get the next best thing in his brother.”

Being back in Navy Blue, Russell wouldn’t deny there was some sense of romanticism behind it. His reactions in the crowd during the elimination and semi finals were a sign that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

“I went to the finals in Melbourne where at the start of the game I was sitting in my seat clapping, and by the end of the game I was fist pumping in the air with mates. It’s a place that holds a big, special place in my heart,” he said.

“We put out some good vibes, my wife and all her family are Carlton supporters.”